Ex-Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper will enter plea soon

UPDATED 10:34 AM EDT Oct 14, 2013

PITTSBURGH -

Former Pittsburgh police Chief Nate Harper is expected to plead guilty this week to federal charges that he conspired to steal city police funds deposited into unauthorized police credit union accounts.

Federal court records show U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon has scheduled a hearing for 2:45 p.m. Friday because she has "been advised that defendant wishes to plead guilty."

Harper allegedly conspired with unnamed others to divert more than $70,000 from a city account into two unauthorized credit union accounts, then spent nearly $32,000 of that himself.

He's also charged with willfully failing to file federal income tax returns from 2008 to 2011.

Harper stepped down in February at the request of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, just before he was indicted by a grand jury.

Harper's defense attorney says the former chief is cooperating with a federal investigation into city dealings.

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